The year was 2045, and it had been nearly six months since one of the greatest inventions known to man was unveiled.  And on that bright Monday morning, history was to be made. This was the first time humans would have full access to time travel, and I was one of 300 volunteers to experience it.

I arrived at the unmarked location at 3 pm sharp, exactly as I was told. The sun beating down on me as I approached the building. I walked in and was greeted by a group of nearly 30 men in suits. They quickly led me to a machine that looked like nothing I had seen before.  I was greeted by a bright light and an overwhelming feeling of warmth. The men instructed me to close my eyes and take three deep breaths. On the third breath, I felt a force push down on me. About three seconds passed, and I felt the force lift from my body. I opened my eyes and looked around me. Everything felt so oddly familiar.

I looked up at the harsh white lights hanging from the ceiling, and I could hear chatter in the background. That’s when I looked around and realized I was in the middle of a grocery store. My eyes wandered the shelves, looking for anything unusual. I was quickly caught off guard by the bare shelves, specifically the lack of toilet paper. I looked around as people in masks walked up and down the aisles.

I gasped.

“No, this can’t be….” I thought to myself.

I quickly pulled out the phone conveniently placed in my pocket to check what year it was. It was exactly what I feared… It was the year 2020.